Trump is Crushing the Independence of the White House Press Corps

When the press pool becomes a fan club, democracy drowns

When Associated Press reporters were banned from the White House Press Pool for choosing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its proper and widely accepted name rather than Trump’s jingoistic alternative, it was only the beginning. The White House has begun systematically replacing independent journalists in the press corps with loyalists and pointedly assigning seats in the White House Briefing Room to blatantly friendly outlets and “new media” voices. While not illegal, it is far from transparent and violates longstanding norms by turning the briefing room into a “curated fan club,” hindering the public’s access to truth.

Watch it below or on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram.

© The UnPopulist, 2025

Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X.